TREASURY

Child Tax Credit

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Greater London, broken down by borough, are eligible for the child tax credit; and what the take-up rate is.

Dawn Primarolo: The estimated number of families in London receiving child tax credit (CTC) is shown in "Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics. Geographical analyses. April 2004", which is on the Inland Revenue website at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm. The estimated number of families in each London borough receiving CTC is shown in "Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics. January 2004", at the same site. The estimates are based on a sample of cases, and are subject to sampling uncertainty.
	No estimate is available of the number of families in London who are eligible for the child tax credit.

Greater London Constituencies

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Greater London constituencies experienced the greatest fall in electorate between (a) 1990 and 2000 and (b) 1997 and 2004 in (i) numerical and (ii) percentage terms, listed in descending order.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Simon Hughes, dated 18 June 2004
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning the Greater London constituencies that have experienced the greatest fall in electorate between 1990 and 2000 and between 1997 and 2004. (179400)
	New constituencies came into place in 1996, therefore it has only been possible to compare figures for 1990 with those for 1995.
	I am placing four tables in the House of Commons Library.
	Table 1 shows the Greater London constituencies that have experienced decreases in electors between February 1990 and February 1995, ranked by numerical decrease. Table 2 shows the same constituencies ranked in order of percentage decreases in electorate over the same period.
	Table 3 shows the Greater London constituencies that have experienced the greatest fall in electors between February 1997 and December 2003, the latest date for which data are available (ranked by numerical decrease). Table 4 shows the same constituencies ranked in order of percentage decreases in electorate over the same period.

TRANSPORT

A30

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he expects a decision to be made on the A30 dualling from Bodmin to Indian Queens.

David Jamieson: The Secretary of State for Transport and the Deputy Prime Minister are currently considering the Inspector's report of the public local inquiry and will issue their joint decision as soon as possible.

Dunstable Northern Bypass

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Dunstable Northern bypass from the A5 to the M1 will be built; and what funding has been specifically allocated to build it.

David Jamieson: The M1-A5 Dunstable Northern Link Road is in the Department's Targeted Programme of Improvements. The contract is expected to be part of a package, which includes the widening of the Ml between junctions 10 and 13. Subject to statutory procedures and the availability of funds, works could start during 2008–09.
	The estimated cost of the Dunstable scheme is £48.1 million.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) private and (b) commercial liquefied petroleum gas fuelled vehicles there are in the UK.

David Jamieson: According to the Liquid Petroleum Gas Association (LPGA), there were 107,000 LPG powered vehicles on the road in the UK on 31 December 2003. Although figures on the breakdown between private and commercial vehicles are not recorded, some 25,000 of these vehicles were vans, and a straw poll of major suppliers carried out in 2003 indicated that of the 82,000 remaining vehicles there were an estimated 250 black taxis in London, and at least 8,000 operating as private taxi hire throughout the UK.

Noise Pollution

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 7 June 2004, Official Report, column 70W, on noise pollution (roads), what other methods are used to reduce noise from road surfaces.

David Jamieson: My answer of 7 June referred to the sound-proofing of residential properties. Quieter road surfaces and noise barriers are other methods that are used to reduce noise from road surfaces on the strategic road network.

Road Safety

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrian deaths in road accidents there were where the pedestrian had over 100 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood in each year since 1997; and what percentage of pedestrian road accident deaths in (a) England and (b) each region this represented in each case.

David Jamieson: Not all pedestrians who die in road accidents are tested for blood alcohol level. Among those who were tested, the percentage of pedestrian fatalities in Great Britain who had blood alcohol levels over l00 mg/l00 ml are shown in the following table, for the years 1997 to 2001 (the latest year for which this information is available). Figures are not readily available for England or by region.
	
		
			  Percentage of pedestrian fatalities with blood/alcohol l00 mg/ml: Great Britain 
		
		
			 1997 35 
			 1998 35 
			 1999 37 
			 2000 33 
			 2001 38

Road Safety

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatal road traffic accidents there have been in each county in England since 1997.

David Jamieson: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		Fatal road accidents, by county: England 1997 to 2002 -- Accidents
		
			 County 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Avon 46 52 37 43 51 41 
			 Bedfordshire 37 28 44 35 37 44 
			 Berkshire 33 36 44 55 36 46 
			 Buckinghamshire 48 47 44 44 51 59 
			 Cambridgeshire 58 60 63 72 53 56 
			 Cheshire 59 60 68 66 64 63 
			 Cleveland 23 15 21 23 25 18 
			 Cornwall 41 31 27 33 36 48 
			 Cumbria 48 46 54 48 45 45 
			 Derbyshire 62 60 55 55 42 56 
			 Devon 52 51 46 54 51 54 
			 Dorset 40 31 35 39 37 52 
			 Durham 32 38 29 20 26 38 
			 East Sussex 38 40 44 55 39 48 
			 Essex 83 79 104 82 111 85 
			 Gloucestershire 48 36 40 33 47 38 
			 Greater London 263 220 254 270 294 267 
			 Greater Manchester 111 98 84 99 102 81 
			 Hampshire 70 72 86 81 66 84 
			 Hereford and Worcester 58 59 29 43 53 55 
			 Hertfordshire 52 53 47 49 43 54 
			 Humberside 63 58 68 41 52 44 
			 Isle of Wight 4 3 5 6 1 5 
			 Kent 107 83 94 82 96 100 
			 Lancashire 75 81 70 60 74 62 
			 Leicestershire 58 74 82 56 60 71 
			 Lincolnshire 73 75 87 63 74 77 
			 Merseyside 50 48 54 68 42 55 
			 Norfolk 55 62 64 64 56 70 
			 Northants 53 49 61 50 40 50 
			 Northumberland 25 29 25 18 18 24 
			 North Yorkshire 74 75 63 77 73 84 
			 Nottinghamshire 77 81 62 66 77 70 
			 Oxfordshire 48 59 55 55 47 36 
			 Shropshire 29 27 42 42 35 36 
			 Somerset 38 44 34 41 44 41 
			 South Yorkshire 43 53 46 55 46 56 
			 Staffordshire 68 62 52 64 75 56 
			 Suffolk 42 21 45 50 49 42 
			 Surrey 66 56 69 66 48 58 
			 Tyne and Wear 45 26 35 24 24 37 
			 Warwickshire 53 48 42 57 49 48 
			 West Midlands 108 93 78 71 82 77 
			 West Sussex 43 54 39 35 55 38 
			 West Yorkshire 115 100 108 115 128 110 
			 Wiltshire 47 42 43 34 46 38 
			
			 England 2,761 2,615 2,678 1,659 2,700 2,717

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Fly-tipping (Merseyside)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions Merseyside local authorities have used their new powers to investigate and tackle fly-tipping since the inception of these powers.

Elliot Morley: No data is collated on how often local authorities use the specific stop, search and seizure powers and investigation powers that were extended to waste collection authorities under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003.
	Information can be derived from returns to the Flycapture database on numbers of prosecutions:
	St. Helens—182 incidents, 20 investigations
	Sefton—171 incidents, No actions recorded yet
	Knowsley—215 incidents, No actions recorded yet
	Liverpool City—Not yet registered for Flycapture
	Wirral—Registered but not submitted a return for April

Fly-tipping (Merseyside)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress by Merseyside local authorities in the adoption of the standard classification system for the reporting of fly-tipping.

Elliot Morley: The Flycapture database that has been developed between Defra, the Environment Agency and the Local Government Association went 'live' on 5 April. The first returns were due to be sent by 25 May.
	So far, progress nationally on adopting Flycapture has been good with 92 per cent. of waste collection authorities in England and Wales registering.
	The progress of local authorities in the Merseyside area is detailed:
	Liverpool City—Not yet registered
	St. Helens—Registered and submitted data
	Sefton —Registered and submitted data
	Knowsley—Registered and submitted data
	Wirral—Registered but not submitted data for April.

Abandoned Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abandoned vehicles there were in England and Wales in each financial year since 2001–02 (a) in total and (b) broken down by region.

Elliot Morley: Figures for numbers of abandoned vehicles removed and destroyed are compiled from the Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey for 2001–02 and 2002–03 and the Defra Abandoned Vehicle Survey for 2002–03.
	Figures for England broken down by region are listed as follows:
	
		Thousand vehicles
		
			 Region 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 North East 3.8 6.9 
			 North West 13.0 18.5 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 12.7 15.7 
			 East Midlands 17.6 20.5 
			 West Midlands 12.0 26.0 
			 East 42.2 44.4 
			 London 104.5 94.5 
			 South East 57.3 56.2 
			 South West 23.3 27.3 
			 England 286.3 310.1

Abandoned Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abandoned cars each local authority in England and Wales stated they had removed in their submissions to the most recent Municipal Waste Management Survey.

Elliot Morley: The latest data for abandoned vehicles removed and destroyed by each local authority in England are taken both from the 2002–03 Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey and the 2002–03 Defra Abandoned Vehicle Survey. The results from either survey are available in the Library of the House.

Cardiff Process

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government is taking to ensure the success at EU level of the Cardiff process to integrate environmental considerations into sectoral policy.

Elliot Morley: The Government has been an active supporter of the Cardiff process since its launch under the UK presidency in 1998. The European Commission has recently produced a stocktaking report of the Cardiff process ['Integrating environmental considerations into other policy areas—a stocktaking of the Cardiff process'COM (2004) 394]. This document shows that whilst some progress has been made in important areas such as agriculture (reform of the CAP) and energy (Directive 2004/87/EC on Greenhouse gas emissions) more work is still needed. My department will consider the recommendations in the stocktaking carefully. In the meantime my department has been considering ways of promoting environmental integration through various other tools. For example, we see a fair and balanced impact assessment of new EU policy proposals as a key tool in promoting environmental integration; my department have commissioned a study investigating the Commission's new impact assessment system and will be sharing its conclusions and recommendations with the Commission. We will also be looking for further improvements in the EU Sustainable Development Strategy which is being reviewed this year.

Ceramics Industry

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the UK ceramics industry about (a) European regulation and (b) the Government's implementation thereof; and what action she has taken as a result.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 7 June 2004
	The Ceramic industry is subject to a range of EU legislation. I believe that, in this case, the hon. Member may be referring to the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The ceramic industry is one of the sectors covered by EU ETS.
	Government have held discussions with the ceramic industry in relation to the EU ETS through formal consultation and a sector meeting held on 27 February. A meeting with the ceramic sector was held on 11 May to renegotiate their Climate Change Agreement targets. This work will also feed into the EU ETS allocation process. Representatives from the ceramic industry have also been present at various seminars held by Government, the most recent being on allocation methodology held on 20 May.
	Officials have also worked closely with the British Ceramic Confederation over the implementation of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive, including their involvement in implementation trials and discussions about interpretation and statutory guidance. Amendments have been made to the guidance in the light of their comments. The British Ceramic Confederation is a member of the Department's Industry Forum concerning the Pollution Prevention and Control regime, which meets twice a year.

Common Agricultural Policy

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many UK farm holdings received total annual Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments in excess of (a) £500,000, (b) £750,000 and (c) £1,000,000 in each CAP accounting year in the last five years for which figures are available.

Alun Michael: The number of farm holdings in England that received total annual CAP payments in the requested bands is shown in the following table.
	These figures have been taken from European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) accounts. The EAGGF financial year runs from 16 October to 15 October.
	The information for other countries within the UK is a matter for their devolved assemblies.
	
		
			 EAGGF year Over £500,000 Over £750,000 Over £1,000,000 
		
		
			 2000 32 9 4 
			 2001 27 11 7 
			 2002 25 8 5 
			 2003 37 19 11 
		
	
	The Rural Payments Agency introduced a new accounting system in 1999 so complete figures for that year could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Secondments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in her Department and its agencies were seconded from the (a) private and (b) academic sector in each of the last three years.

Alun Michael: The number of staff in Defra and its agencies seconded from the private and academic sector in each of the last three years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Private sector Academic sector 
		
		
			 2001–02 4 2 
			 2002–03 4 0 
			 2003–04 7 0 
		
	
	The purpose of bringing people into the Civil Service from other sectors is to fill skills gaps and to add dimensions and insights from outside. For the individuals themselves, the secondment provides experience of another sector and an opportunity to enhance existing skills and develop others.
	Secondments are part of the Interchange Initiative which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations. Before an interchange can occur, all parties must be satisfied that no conflict of interest arises.

Hazardous Waste

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much hazardous waste was illegally dumped in (a) Merseyside and (b) Crosby in each of the last three years; and how many prosecutions resulted.

Elliot Morley: Information has been provided for the numbers of incidents involving illegal deposits of hazardous waste recorded by the Environment Agency. While the Agency holds prosecution data for all illegal deposits of waste, hazardous waste prosecutions are not themselves separately recorded.
	Local authorities may additionally hold records of those incidents and prosecutions that they have taken but this is not held centrally.
	There are no Agency recorded incidents or prosecutions relating to the illegal deposit of hazardous waste in Crosby in any of the last three years.
	Those for Merseyside are set out in the following tables.
	
		Table 1—Total incidents of illegal hazardous waste deposits recorded by the Agency
		
			  Merseyside Crosby 
		
		
			 2002 12 0 
			 2003 9 0 
			 2004 4 0 
		
	
	
		Table 2—Total number of Agency prosecutions for all illegal waste deposits (including non-hazardous)
		
			  Merseyside Crosby 
		
		
			 2002 15 0 
			 2003 7 0 
			 2004 2 0

Ministerial Speeches

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many speeches she made between 9 June 2003 and 1 February 2004; and where a copy of each speech can be obtained.

Margaret Beckett: I made 19 speeches during the eight month period from 9 June 2003 to 1 February 2004. Copies of my keynote speeches can be found on the Defra Website: http://defraweb/corporate/ministers/speeches/default.asp. x

Orchards

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with English Nature about biodiversity in English orchards.

Alun Michael: Officials have been in discussion with English Nature with a view to finding a way forward within the Single Payment Scheme for traditional grazed orchards (that are important in the biodiversity context) to remain eligible for CAP subsidy.

Orchards

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the EU about a derogation for (a) some and (b) all English orchards allowing them to be included in the Single Farm Scheme.

Alun Michael: Orchards are not eligible land for the purposes of the Single Payment Scheme and there is no prospect of a general derogation from this rule for any member state. However, officials remain in discussion with the Commission over the status of traditional grazed orchards.

Radio Identifier Frequency Devices

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to commission research into the environmental impact of the use of radio identifier frequency devices in retail goods.

Alun Michael: We are not aware of any particular environmental concerns relating to the use of radio frequency identification devices and currently have no plans to commission any research into their impact.

Sewerage

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to bring forward proposals in response to the Review of Existing Private Sewers and Drains in England and Wales.

Elliot Morley: The Department plans to publish a response to the consultation in the summer. This will summarise responses, give the Government's views and set out the issues that need to be addressed before a final decision can be made. A decision paper should be published early next year.

Waste Disposal

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the (a) recycling and (b) incineration of (i) oxo-biodegradable plastic and (ii) conventional plastic;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effect of oxo-biodegradable plastic in combating litter;
	(3)  what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on oxo-biodegradable plastics, with particular reference to the contribution they may make to a better environment;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the effect on the environment of making short-life plastic products degradable.

Elliot Morley: The National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC) recently published a review of current knowledge on the environmental profiles of biodegradable polymers (BDPs). The main focus of the review is on BDPs made from renewable feedstocks such as starch, polylactic acid and cellulose and their environmental performance compared to conventional plastics. The summary report, "Biodegradable Polymers and Sustainability: Insights from Life Cycle Assessment", can be viewed on the NNFCC website at: www.nnfcc.co.uk
	The Environment Agency will follow up this work with two Life Cycle Analysis research projects. The first will consider disposable plastic carrier bags from supermarkets and alternative product systems (e.g. paper and bioplastics) and the other will look at food packaging product systems. Oil-based biodegradable (oxo-biodegradable) plastics are included in the scope of the alternative materials. The results of the research will be reported March 2005.

HEALTH

Arm's Length Bodies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the arm's length bodies for which his Department has responsibility, indicating in each case whether it is an (a) executive agency, (b) special health authority, (c) non departmental public body and (d) other body.

Rosie Winterton: A list of the Department's arm's length bodies is shown in the tables.
	Executive agencies
	Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
	NHS Estates
	NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency
	Special health authorities
	Counter Fraud and Security Management Service
	Dental Vocational Training Authority
	Family Health Services Appeal Authority
	Health Development Agency
	Health Protection Agency
	Mental Health Act Commission
	NHS Appointments Commission
	NHS Direct
	NHS Information Authority
	NHS Litigation Authority
	NHS Logistics
	NHS Pensions Agency
	NHS Professionals
	NHSU
	National Blood Authority
	National Clinical Assessment Authority
	National Institute for Clinical Excellence
	National Patient Safety Agency
	National Treatment Agency
	Prescription Pricing Authority
	UK Transplant
	Executive non-departmental public bodies
	Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (The Healthcare Commission)
	Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health
	Commission for Social Care Inspection
	General Social Care Council
	Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
	Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts
	National Biological Standards Board (UK)
	National Radiological Protection Board
	Public Health Laboratory Service Board
	Other bodies
	Council for the Regulation of Health Care Professionals
	Dental Practice Board
	Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board

Breastfeeding

Julia Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a breastfeeding strategy for England will be included in the Children's National Service Framework.

Melanie Johnson: The national service framework for children, young people and maternity services will set out standards for a wide range of health and social care services and the interface with education. The standards are likely to set out what support should be available to children, young people and pregnant women.
	The Government encourage breastfeeding as the best form of nutrition for infants and has set an national health service priorities and planning framework target to increase breastfeeding initiation by two percentage points a year between 2003–06, focusing on women from disadvantaged groups.

Chorley and South Ribble PCT

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people had treatment in Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust in each of the age groups (a) two to 11, (b) 11 to 18, (c) 18 to 30, (d) 30 to 40, (e) 40 to 60 and (f) 60 to 70 in each of the last five years, broken down by gender.

Melanie Johnson: Information is not gathered on the number of people receiving treatment.

Chorley and South Ribble PCT

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public money is earmarked for health over the next two years in Chorley.

Melanie Johnson: The allocations to the Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2004–05 181,153,000 
			 2005–06 205,458,000

Depression (Young People)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes for depression in children and adolescents there were in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority in each year since 1996; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The available information is shown in the table. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is currently developing a guideline on the identification and management of depression in children in primary care and specialist services. The guideline is scheduled to be published in 2005.
	
		Primary diagnosis (ICD-10) F32—Depressive episode and F33—Recurrent depressive episode; Count of finished consultant episodes for age groups 0–15 and 16–17, National Health Service hospitals in England 1999–2000 to 2002–03
		
			  0–15 16 and 17-year-olds 0–17 total 
		
		
			 1996–97 190 315 505 
			 1997–98 214 283 497 
			 1998–99 212 251 463 
			 1999–2000 227 263 490 
			 2000–01 189 40 429 
			 2001–02 225 239 464 
			 2002–03 248 270 518 
		
	
	Notes:
	Ungrossed Data
	Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data.
	Finished Consultant Episode (FCE)
	An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.
	Diagnosis (Primary Diagnosis)
	The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.

General Practitioners

Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners are practising in the NHS in Lincolnshire; and how many people were practising 10 years ago.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 10 June 2004
	The earliest available data shows that in 1994, there were 337 general medical practitioners, excluding retainers, registrars and locums, in the then Lincolnshire Health Authority.
	The latest data shows that in 2003, there were 375 general medical practitioners, excluding retainers, registrars and locums, in Lincolnshire.

Hospital Capacity

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if on divert is a phrase recommended by his Department to be used by hospitals that are unable to accommodate additional patients; and how often in the last three months hospitals in the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust have been on divert.

Stephen Ladyman: On divert is an expression used in the national health service to describe a technique used to manage variations in local demand for emergency care. NHS trusts are said to be on divert if they have agreed with their neighbouring trusts and strategic health authority that some or all of the emergency patients who would usually be taken to one of the hospitals within that trust will, for a temporary period, be taken to alternative hospitals. Information on the number of diverts at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust during the last three months, if any, is not held centrally.

ME

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department spends money on helping ME sufferers in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Chorley.

Melanie Johnson: The information is not collected centrally. Allocation of funding for particular treatments are matters for the local primary care trust.

Mental Illness

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to educate the public about mental illnesses to tackle the stigma associated with these illnesses.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 15 June 2004
	The National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) is about to publish a new five-year strategic plan to tackle stigma and discrimination on mental health grounds. The plan will be launched shortly and will build on the foundation of the Department's "Mind out for mental health" campaign and key recommendations of a scoping review commissioned by NIMHE of what works in anti stigma and discrimination. In line with the evidence, the programme will target key audiences and be underpinned by people affected by mental health problems being at the heart of all work. The brand and first resources and projects will be formally launched on World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2004.
	This work will support the implementation of the social exclusion unit's action plan on social exclusion and mental health that was launched on 14 June.

MRSA

Ann Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to compensate victims of MRSA in NHS hospitals.

Melanie Johnson: We have no plans to award compensation to patients with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in national health service trusts.

NHS Direct

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls have been made to NHS Direct in each month since November 2001.

Rosie Winterton: The number of calls made to NHS Direct in each month since November 2001 are shown in the table.
	
		Number of calls answered by NHS Direct since November 2001
		
			  Calls answered 
		
		
			 November 2001 415,845 
			 December 2001 513,741 
			 January 2002 518,375 
			 February 2002 459,305 
			 March 2002 500,547 
			 April 2002 471,551 
			 May 2002 478,767 
			 June 2002 485,061 
			 July 2002 479,096 
			 August 2002 485,296 
			 September 2002 420,017 
			 October 2002 488,856 
			 November 2002 475,026 
			 December 2002 570,227 
			 January 2003 547,872 
			 February 2003 509,293 
			 March 2003 575,946 
			 April 2003 579,994 
			 May 2003 552,749 
			 June 2003 523,997 
			 July 2003 532,447 
			 August 2003 520,148 
			 September 2003 476,102 
			 October 2003 511,835 
			 November 2003 545,826 
			 December 2003 570,349 
			 January 2004 548,523 
			 February 2004 506,112 
			 March 2004 542,014 
			 April 2004 544,879 
			 May 2004 554,454 
		
	
	Source:
	NHS Direct health intelligence unit.

NHS Direct

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the 10 most common reasons for calls to NHS Direct over the last year.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the most common reasons for calling NHS Direct has only been collected nationally by the NHS Direct health intelligence unit since January 2004. The 10 most common reasons for calls to NHS Direct from January 2004 to March 2004 are shown in the table.
	
		10 most common reasons for calls to NHS Direct, January 2004 to March 2004
		
			 Algorithm Percentage of overall 
		
		
			 Abdominal Pain 4.4 
			 Chest Pain 2.3 
			 Headache 2.3 
			 Toothache 2.2 
			 Rash Toddler (Age 1–4 years) 2.1 
			 Fever Toddler (Age 1–4 years) 1.9 
			 Sore Throat 1.9 
			 Ingestion Toxic 1.8 
			 Diarrhoea 1.7 
			 Vomiting 1.7 
		
	
	Source:
	NHS Direct health intelligence unit.

NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the Government's conclusions on proposals to amend the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 1992.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have considered the report of the expert advisory group set up to advise how best to implement the proposals and we will come forward with further announcements as soon as possible.
	The Government remain fully committed to reforming the current regulatory regime.

Smoking

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of smoking-related diseases as they affect each social class.

Melanie Johnson: Smoking has been identified as the principal reason for the inequalities in death rates between rich and poor in the United Kingdom. We commissioned the then Heath Education Authority to undertake research into the effects of smoking related diseases. "The UK Smoking Epidemic: Deaths in 1995", published in 1998, provides information on the estimated number and percentage of deaths attributable to smoking related diseases and includes some information on deaths by social class. A copy is available in the Library.
	We have now commissioned the Health Development Agency to undertake a similar study estimating the number and percentage of smoking attributable deaths by primary care trust and strategic health authority which should be available later this year.
	There is also a larger proportion of smokers in lower socio-economic groups, therefore a disproportionately high proportion of people in those groups are likely to suffer from smoking related diseases. In England in 2002, 19 per cent. of those in managerial and professional occupations were smokers, compared with 31 per cent. of those in routine and manual groups.

Wheelchairs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to (a) NHS trusts and (b) social services departments on the expected safe lifetime of electric wheelchairs.

Stephen Ladyman: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has specific responsibility on behalf of the Secretary of State to safeguard public health where medical devices are involved. Electric powered wheelchairs come within this overall remit.
	MHRA has issued guidance which is available to health and social services. This guidance relates to the management, purchase, repair and maintenance of medical devices. This guidance has also been incorporated into the NHS controls assurance standards for medical devices.
	The wheelchair manufacturer should provide information on the expected safe lifetime of his product. This is dependent on the use, repair and maintenance being carried out in line with the manufacturer's instructions.
	Many manufacturers base their lifetime information on the results that they obtain from the international standards for impact and fatigue testing of wheelchairs during their product development. This standard is generally taken to equate to approximately five years of moderate use of an occupied wheelchair.
	Infrequent light usage of a wheelchair combined with appropriate maintenance may allow the lifetime to be extended. A lower quality wheelchair and inappropriate or heavy usage combined with inadequate maintenance will shorten the expected safe lifetime of the wheelchair.

Wheelchairs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to (a) NHS trusts and (b) social services departments about the use of reconditioned motors in electric wheelchairs.

Stephen Ladyman: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has specific responsibility on behalf of the Secretary of State to safeguard public health where medical devices are involved. Electric powered wheelchairs come within this overall remit.
	MHRA has issued guidance, which is available to, health and social services. This guidance relates to the management, repair and maintenance of medical devices. This guidance has also been incorporated into the NHS Controls Assurance Standards for medical devices.
	Within this guidance the use of reconditioned parts such as motors for electric wheelchairs is acknowledged as an option that can be cost effective. However, the source and specification of the reconditioning process is a critical element. It is generally recommended that reconditioning is carried out by the original equipment manufacturer. If it is to be carried out by another source then it is essential that the reconditioner can prove that the process has produced the same level of safety, technical specification and performance as the original equipment. The fitting of the reconditioned motor and any subsequent changes that are required to the maintenance process for the wheelchair itself will also need to be recorded in the equipment records for the wheelchairs.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Carers Allowance

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to reach a decision on the effect on the entitlement to carers allowance of receipt by carers of supporting people payments.

Chris Pond: Supporting People payments made to carers contracted to Supporting People service providers count as earnings for the purpose of entitlement to carers' allowance.

Child Support Agency

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people were committed to prison because they had committed offences relating to the work of the Child Support Agency in each year since the Agency was established;
	(2)  how many parents have failed to pay Child Support in each year since 1997; and of these how many have (a) received a driving ban and (b) received a jail sentence in each year;
	(3)  if he will estimate the number of non-resident parents who have had their driving licences removed by the courts in each year since April 2001 as a result of the provisions introduced under the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000;

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. David Willets, dated 18 June 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on your behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were committed to prison because they had committed offences relating to the work of the Child Support Agency in each year since the Agency was established.
	You then asked two further related questions, which requested information on the removal of driving licences:
	How many parents have failed to provide Child Support in each year since 1997: and of these how many have (a) received a driving ban and (b) received a jail sentence in each year; and
	The number of non-resident parents who have had their driving licences removed by the courts in each year since April 2001 as a result of the provisions introduced under the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000.
	The number of non-resident parents that have failed to make child maintenance payments since 1997 are shown as follows. The figures are taken from the 5 per cent. quarterly samples of the Child Support Computer System from March 1997 to February 2003. The data looks at compliance in every quarter of the year therefore those who are nil compliant will have been nil compliant within every quarter of the year.
	
		£000
		
			  Total cases with full maintenance Assessment Number of non-resident parents that are nil compliant 
		
		
			 1997–1998 674.3 45.3 
			 1998–1999 854.2 57.7 
			 1999–2000 967.2 63.8 
			 2000–2001 1,052.6 63.9 
			 2001–2002 1,075.6 59.0 
			 2002–2003 1,116.4 53.2 
		
	
	Notes:
	Figures are in thousands and rounded to the nearest hundred.
	Committal action:
	From March 1999 to May 2004 there have been 171 suspended committal sentences. The first specific reference we have to a non-resident parent serving a prison sentence is in 2002–2003. Information pre dating 2001–2002 does not specify whether the non-resident parent served a prison sentence; the records only show whether a warrant for committal was issued.
	2001–2002—0 sentences served.
	2002–2003—4 sentences served.
	2003–2004—8 sentences served.
	Removal of driving licences:
	The power to withdraw driving licences was brought into effect on 2 April 2001 (under the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000).
	2001–2002—3 suspended licence sentences issued.
	2002–2003—1 driving licence removed and 7 suspended licence sentences issued.
	2003–2004—1 driving licence removed and 9 suspended licence sentences issued.
	Please note committal to prison or disqualification from driving is only considered after all other enforcement options have been attempted or discounted. We use these ultimate sanctions as the final lever to achieve compliance rather than as a punitive measure for those non-resident parents who will not pay. This explains the huge difference between the number of warrants we obtain and the number of driving licences withdrawn or prison sentences actually served.

Council Tax Benefit

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people (a) have claimed and (b) are eligible for council tax benefit in Greater London, broken down by borough, in each of the last three years.

Chris Pond: The information is not available in the format requested. Estimates of the number of entitled non-recipients are not available below national level. The national level estimates can be found in a series of DWP reports entitled "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up". The latest publication relates to the financial year 2001–02; copies of this and previous reports are available from the Library.
	The available information is in the table.
	
		Council tax benefit recipients by London borough -- Thousand
		
			 Local authority 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 London GOR 610.4 625.4 646.7 
			 Barking and Dagenham 18.0 18.4 18.7 
			 Barnet 20.0 20.3 21.7 
			 Bexley 13.0 13.0 13.4 
			 Brent 21.5 22.9 24.4 
			 Bromley 15.0 14.1 16.2 
			 Camden 24.1 23.8 23.5 
			 City of London 0.4 0.4 0.4 
			 Croydon 22.9 23.3 24.3 
			 Ealing 19.9 19.6 22.0 
			 Enfield 23.1 22.8 25.0 
			 Greenwich 22.8 23.9 24.0 
			 Hackney 28.2 29.8 25.8 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 16.8 16.6 17.4 
			 Haringey 24.7 25.8 27.1 
			 Harrow 11.6 11.5 12.8 
			 Havering 14.7 14.6 15.2 
			 Hillingdon 16.2 15.7 16.8 
			 Hounslow 16.4 16.7 16.9 
			 Islington 24.9 24.6 26.8 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 12.1 12.5 12.0 
			 Kingston upon Thames 6.7 6.2 7.0 
			 Lambeth 25.5 29.9 29.8 
			 Lewisham 26.8 26.8 27.1 
			 Merton 10.8 10.7 10.9 
			 Newham 28.3 31.2 32.0 
			 Redbridge 15.5 15.7 16.6 
			 Richmond upon Thames 8.4 8.5 8.9 
			 Southwark 33.0 34.4 34.4 
			 Sutton 8.3 9.8 10.0 
			 Tower Hamlets 28.8 29.3 29.9 
			 Waltham Forest 19.9 20.2 20.7 
			 Wandsworth 18.1 17.6 19.6 
			 Westminster 14.1 14.6 15.5 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
	2. The figures are rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands.
	3. Council tax benefit totals exclude any Second Adult Rebate cases.
	4. Figures include estimates for non-responding local authorities.
	Source:
	Housing benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in February 2002, 2003 and 2004.

CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Responsibilities

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what mechanisms exist to distinguish between those matters which are his Department's responsibilities and those which are directly those of the Prime Minister.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 14 June 2004, Official Report, column 703W.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

All-postal Ballots

David Amess: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate he has made of extra costs arising from problems with distribution of ballot papers in regions for which all-postal ballots are being held for elections on 10 June.

Christopher Leslie: Returning officers have the contractual relationship with suppliers of ballot packs. They will be submitting claims for their costs of the all-postal ballots to the Elections Claims Unit in due course. When those claims have been received, it will be possible to make an estimate of any costs falling to Returning Officers arising from any problems with printing and distribution.

Environmental Cases

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  how many applications for judicial review relating to environmental matters were granted permission to proceed in each year since 1997; and what proportion of the total number of applications this represented in each year;
	(2)  how many applications there were for judicial review in the High Court relating to environmental matters in each year since 1997; and what proportion of the total number of applications this represented in each year;
	(3)  how many cases relating to environmental matters were granted leave to appeal to the House of Lords in each year since 1997; and what proportion of the total number of cases heard by the legal committee of the House of Lords this represented in each year;
	(4)  how many cases relating to environmental matters were granted leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal in each year since 1997; and what proportion of the total number of appeals to the Court of Appeal this represented in each year.

Christopher Leslie: The Administrative Court Office's case management system does not identify cases by the category of "environmental" matters. The Administrative Court cannot therefore provide the information requested without incurring disproportionate costs.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Greyhounds

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many greyhounds were bred for racing in the UK in 2003.

Richard Caborn: There are no precise figures available for the number of greyhounds bred for racing in the UK in 2003.
	However, 10,709 greyhounds were registered with the English Stud Book in 2003.

Licensed Premises

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many licensed premises serving alcohol in England there were in each year since 1997.

Richard Caborn: Statistics on the number of licensed premises and clubs serving alcohol are collected on a triennial basis. Figures are available for 1998 and 2001—all figures are as at 30 June.
	
		
			  1998 2001 
		
		
			 On licence 104,057 102,551 
			 Off licence 42,462 41,742 
			 Registered clubs 21,084 20,487 
			 Theatres 262 201 
			 Total 167,865 164,981 
		
	
	The collection of figures for 2004 is currently under way.

Pre-owned Assets

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the Treasury on tax on pre-owned assets.

Richard Caborn: Changes to the taxation regime are a question for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Measures to amend the tax treatment of pre-owned assets, intended to deter abuse of the inheritance tax "gift with reservation" rules, were announced on 10 December 2003 in the pre-Budget report.
	The Minister for Media and Heritage—my right hon. Friend, Lord McIntosh of Haringey—wrote to the Paymaster-General in February to ensure that consequences for heritage assets were taken into account in the detailed workings of the income tax charge on pre-owned assets.
	Details of the charge, and proposals for further consultation on valuation and the rates of return for chattels and intangibles, are included in Inland Revenue 'Budget Notice 40: Tax Treatment of Pre-Owned Assets'.

Racehorses

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many horses were bred for racing in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

Richard Caborn: The numbers of thoroughbred horses bred for racing in the UK in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2003 5,432 
			 2002 5,156 
			 2001 4,977 
			 2000 5,194 
			 1999 5,363

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Indian Ocean

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations were conducted by his Department before publication of the British Indian Ocean Territory (Immigration) Order 2004 and the British Indian Ocean Territory (Constitution) Order 2004.

Bill Rammell: Before the British Indian Ocean Territory (Constitution) Order 2004 and the British Indian Ocean Territory (Immigration) Order 2004 were submitted to Her Majesty the Queen in Council, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave very careful consideration to all relevant interests and concerns, including the feasibility of the re-settlement of a civilian population in the British Indian Ocean Territory and the likely financial and other commitments which that would entail, and also its impact on the availability and effective use of the territory for defence purposes.

Butler Inquiry

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the oral answer of 15 March 2004, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 1–3, of the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, what export controls were in place at the time of the sale of biological materials to Iraq by the United States.

Bill Rammell: The exports of biological materials from the United States to Iraq in the 1980s were licensed by the US Department of Commerce under the (US) Export Administration Act.

Chagos Islanders

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements have been made since 2000 for Chagos islanders to be allowed to visit Diego Garcia and the Chagos Islands.

Bill Rammell: We have twice put in hand preparations to arrange such a visit, most recently in 2002. However, those preparations fell through for reasons outside our control. Nevertheless, we remain ready to consider the re-instatement of the visit once the situation permits.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to reply to the letter of 5 May from the hon. Member for Walsall, North regarding a constituent, ref. PO 5158/4.

Chris Mullin: A reply will be sent shortly.

International Criminal Court

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries which have yet to ratify the Rome Statute; and what efforts his Department is making to encourage those countries to ratify the Statute.

Bill Rammell: A list of countries that have ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court can be found on its website at: http://untreaty.un.org/ENGLISH/bible/englishinternetbible/partI/chapterXVIII/treatyl0.asp.
	It is a UK and EU objective to increase the universality and jurisdiction of the ICC by urging as many states as possible to ratify the Rome Statute. The EU has a Common Position and Action Plan in support of the ICC. The plan identifies target countries and the presidency tasks individual member states with lobbying exercises. The UK has lobbied in the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana and St. Lucia as well as in Troika demarches in other countries.
	The UK also looks for appropriate opportunities to raise ratification of the Rome Statute in bilateral and multilateral fora such as annual bilateral human rights talks and the recent UK/Caribbean Forum 10–12 May. We have also made clear, at various levels in the US Government, that while we understand the US concerns about the ICC, we do not share them. We hope that, over time, the court will be able to demonstrate that US concerns are unfounded and that the US will adopt a more positive approach to the ICC.
	We recognise that ratification of the Rome Statute must be accompanied by the ability to implement the statue. We have funded a number of initiatives including courses, this year and last, for legal officials (mostly from Africa and Eastern Europe) involved in drafting implementing legislation, and are working with the Commonwealth Secretariat on a project to produce and disseminate model ICC implementing legislation.

Working Time Directive

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many employees in his Department have (a) signed a formal opt out from and (b) are exempt from the Working Time Directive; and how many employees in his Department have recorded hours, including any accruing on a flexitime basis, in excess of the maximum allowed under the Working Time Directive in the last month for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: A staff survey taken earlier this year showed a total of 77 UK-based staff have signed an opt-out.
	No exemptions from the Working Time Directive apply to Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff. The directive applies to all workers in EU countries. It does therefore apply to FCO local staff in EU countries as well as to UK-based staff. It does not apply to FCO local staff in non-EU countries. We do not keep records centrally of hours recorded in excess of the maximum allowed under the directive.
	The FCO is committed to meeting the standards of the directive; line managers are responsible for ensuring that any excess hours worked are kept to an absolute minimum.

DEFENCE

Environmental Modification

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Ministry of Defence flights adhere in all respects to the requirements of the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques.

Adam Ingram: Yes.

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Battle of Britain memorial flight aircraft will take part in the 300th anniversary celebrations of British sovereignty in Gibraltar.

Adam Ingram: No.

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many army regiments will take part in the 300th anniversary celebrations of British sovereignty in Gibraltar; and what role they will play.

Adam Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 16 March 2004, Official Report, column 200W.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of death, injury or ill-treatment in Iraq have been referred to the Attorney-General or the Crown Prosecution Service for review.

Adam Ingram: One.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Statement of 8 June 2004, Official Report, columns 4–5WS, on Iraq, what the names are of the individuals concerned in the cases where investigations are still in progress where individuals died.

Adam Ingram: The names of the individuals concerned are Tanik S. Mahmud, Ather Khalaf Mohammed, Ahmed Jabber Kareem, Said Shabram, G. G. H. D. Roomi, S. Kazim, R. Z. Habib and F.T. Zaab. There are also nine cases where the identity of the individual remains unknown.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Written Statement of 8 June 2004, Official Report, columns 4–5WS, on Iraq, what deficiencies in the recording and investigation of civilian deaths and injuries as a result of actions by armed forces personnel were identified as a result of the verification exercise.

Adam Ingram: No deficiencies in the recording or handling of investigations by service police have been revealed by the verification exercise. The exercise has, however, served to illustrate shortcomings in the arrangements for the central reporting of information relating to investigations into the death, injury or alleged ill-treatment of Iraqi civilians as a result of actions by UK Service Personnel.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has examined in relation to the deaths of (a) Hazim Jum'aa Gattel Al-Skeiri, (b) Baha Ahmed Al-Awari, (c) Abbas Kuhdayar Gatteh, (d) Kasber Farhoud Jasim, (e) Laffeh Ahmed Awdeh and (f) Riyadh Turthi Taha Haseen.

Adam Ingram: The deaths of the individuals named were all raised by Public Interest Lawyers and form part of the Judicial Review to be held in July and therefore it would be inappropriate to give details.

Iraq

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Ministers from his Department have visited prisons run by the British coalition forces in Iraq; what the dates of the visits were; what report was made of the visit; and whether he read that report and discussed with the Minister his impressions of prison conditions in British-run prisons in Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: I visited Shaibah, the UK's only detention facility in Iraq, on 14 June. The facility is run to exacting standards to meet the requirements of the Geneva Convention. The International Committee of the Red Cross have inspected the arrangements in place and have declared them satisfactory.

Namibia

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to send a fisheries protection vessel to the seas off Namibia.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has no plans to deploy fisheries protection vessels to the seas off Namibia. This would not address the root causes of the problem. UK fisheries protection vessels are currently deployed elsewhere. We are, however, supporting the British High Commissioner in Windhoek and his Defence Attaché in developing proposals to assist Namibia with Economic Exclusion Zone management training.

RAF Menwith Hill

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans have been agreed to allow the US Third Air Force and USAFE to take responsibility for the operation of RAF Menwith Hill; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 17 June 2004
	There are no plans for the United States Third Air Force and USAFE to take responsibility for the operation of RAF Menwith Hill. However, discussions are taking place concerning the possible provision, by USAFE, of an administrative and logistic support unit. This will not have any impact on the current management of the base nor the mission, which will remain unchanged.

RAF Menwith Hill

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has held with the US Air Intelligence Agency about its operation of the RAF Menwith Hill Station.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 17 June 2004
	Ministry of Defence officials work closely on a daily basis with their counterparts in the United States Air Intelligence Agency regarding the operation of RAF Menwith Hill.

RAF Menwith Hill

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he permits US forces based in the UK to hold (a) chemical and (b) biological (i) weapons and (ii) counter-weapon material.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 14 June 2004
	There are no United States chemical or biological weapons held in the United Kingdom. Both the US and UK are States Parties to the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC). The BTWC prohibits the development, manufacture, acquisition, and stockpiling of any biological weapons.
	The US is a declared possessor of chemical weapons under the terms of the CWC and is in the process of destroying its stockpiles under Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons supervision.
	Both the CWC and BTWC provide for States Parties to maintain programmes to protect against chemical and biological weapons.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Free School Meals

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advertising campaigns his Department has run since 2001 to make eligible parents aware of their child's entitlement to free school meals.

Stephen Twigg: The Department for Education and Skills has not run any advertising campaigns to make eligible parents aware of their child's entitlement to free school meals. My officials provide local education authorities (LEAs) with the eligibility criteria for free school meals and LEAs disseminate this information to parents and schools.

Racism (Schools)

Alice Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what instructions have been given to (a) local education authorities and (b) head teachers to ensure that children are not exposed to (i) racist opinion expressed by and (ii) policy decisions taken by elected representatives.

Stephen Twigg: There are safeguards in sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996 against politically partisan activities or teaching in schools. LEAs and schools must take reasonable steps to ensure that where political or controversial issues are covered, teachers offer pupils a balanced presentation of opposing views. Guidance for teachers from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority on teaching citizenship education, a national curriculum subject which covers these issues, has been sent to all schools. As part of local authorities, LEAs are bound by duty under the Race Relations Act (2000) to promote race equality, tackle unlawful racial discrimination and promote good race relations when carrying out all their relevant functions, even where those functions are carried out by other representatives.

Computer/Student Ratios (England)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the computer/student ratio is for (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools in England, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: The information requested is not available centrally.
	Figures for England, which were derived from a sample of schools, are shown in the table.
	
		Average number of pupils(1) per computer (used solely or mainly for teaching and learning purposes) by type of school—England—year end March 2003
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Maintained primary schools 7.9 
			 Maintained secondary schools 5.4 
			 Maintained special schools 3.0 
		
	
	(1) Full-time equivalent numbers of pupils.
	The latest information on ICT in schools was published in Statistical Bulletin "Survey of information and Communications Technology in Schools 2003", which is available on the Department's website www. dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

Drug Testing

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many secondary schools conduct drug testing on pupils.

Stephen Twigg: We do not collect these data centrally.

Educational Visits (Health and Safety)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what guidance his Department has issued to (a) schools and (b) local education authorities in relation to the health and safety of pupils on educational visits;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the legal obligations and standards of care that apply to teachers participating in an educational visit.

Ivan Lewis: My Department has issued:
	"Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits" (1998)
	"Standards for LEAs in Overseeing Educational Visits, Standards for Adventure" and "A Handbook for Group Leaders" (2002)
	"Group Safety at Water Margins" (2003)
	"Swimming Charter" (2003)
	Teachers must take reasonable care of their own and others' health and safety; co-operate with their employers; carry out the activities in accordance with training and instructions; and inform the employer of any serious risks. The good practice that helps teachers fulfil their statutory obligations is set out in the above documents.

Home Computers (School Pupils)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate the proportion of (a) primary school age and (b) secondary school age pupils who have home access to computers; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: The latest figures on child access to ICT at home are shown in the table. These figures are derived from the Young People and ICT 2002 survey which was a sample survey of households with children in England, carried out in September and October 2002.
	
		Access to a computer at home by key stage of child -- Position as at autumn 2002
		
			 Key stage Percentage 
		
		
			 Overall 81 
			 Key stage 1 68 
			 Key stage 2 79 
			 Key stage 3 83 
			 Key stage 4 87 
			 Post 16 87 
		
	
	The full survey results have been published on the Department's website at: www.dfes.gov.uk/ictinschools/evidence/

Home Computers (School Pupils)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research he has commissioned into the link between home computer access and learning; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: My Department has commissioned the University of Sheffield to conduct research into children's use of ICT at home and its impact on attainment in key stage tests and GCSEs. The project commenced in December 2003 and is due to report in spring 2005.
	Research shows that household access to ICT has increased significantly in recent years. Among school-age children, the effective use of ICT has been shown to have a positive effect on their learning. The ImpaCT2 research study (2002) quantified this as the equivalent of half a grade at GCSE in some subjects. The current research on pupils home use of ICT will help us to understand the relative contribution of home use of ICT to improving standards.

Honours

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much time his Department spent dealing with honours in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by civil service grade.

Stephen Twigg: Between April 2003 and March 2004, the Department had the following staff dedicated to departmental honours secretariat work:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 HEO 0.6 
			 EO 1 
			 AO 2 
			 AA 0.8 
		
	
	Members of the senior civil service spent 102 hours during the year on the twice-yearly honours sift meetings.
	The majority of the work on honours is undertaken by the departmental honours team. Information is not available on time spent on honours related work by departmental staff who are not members of the Department's honours team.

Official Vehicles

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of official vehicles used by his Department are run on (a) petrol, (b) diesel, (c) liquid petroleum gas and (d) compressed natural gas.

Stephen Twigg: My Department's ministerial vehicles are provided by the Government Car Service (GCS). Detailed information on the breakdown of the GCS vehicle fleet has been sent from Nick Matheson, Chief Executive of GCS, to the hon. Member on 25 May and copies of his letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The following table provides a breakdown of my Department's vehicle fleet in 2003 by vehicle category and fuel type:
	
		
			  2003 
			  Numbers Percentage 
		
		
			 Cars   
			 Petrol 15 34 
			 Diesel 24 55 
			 LPG 5 11 
			 Natural gas 0 0 
			 Total 44 100 
			
			 Vans <3.5 ton   
			 Petrol 2 22 
			 Diesel 7 78 
			 LPG/natural gas 0 0 
			 Total 9 100

Bureaucracy

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 27 May 2004, Official Report, column 1825W, on bureaucracy, what records he keeps of the information his Department automatically sends to schools.

Stephen Twigg: Records are based on a central publications database maintained by the Communications Unit responsible for gate-keeping mailings to schools within DfES. A nominated officer maintains a control spreadsheet which details the name of documents approved for automatic mailings and the date that they were sent.

Pupil Records Transfers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment has been made of the (a) cost and (b) inconvenience caused by the transfer of records between the schools of highly mobile children.

Stephen Twigg: Assessments have not been carried out of either the cost or the inconvenience caused by the transfer of records between schools of highly mobile children.
	However, the Department recognises the additional burden that high pupil mobility places on schools and we introduced the electronic Common Transfer File in 2002 to ease such demands.
	The Common Transfer File is an electronic record that comprises a statutory set of information on pupils who move from one school to another. Its aim is to ensure that there is a consistent set of information available to teachers and staff at the receiving school, thereby saving time that would be spent in re-entry of pupil information and on reassessment of the pupil. Feedback from schools on its effectiveness has been positive.
	In addition, the Department is also conducting a review of the effectiveness of the Parent Held Pupil Record, which is currently used to transfer information on gypsy/traveller pupils between schools.

School Sports Days

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance his Department has issued to (a) schools and (b) local education authorities in relation to school sports days.

Stephen Twigg: This Department has issued no recent guidance to schools or local education authorities in relation to school sports days.
	Schools are free to hold sports days or similar events as part of the overall package of sports opportunities which they offer their pupils. The 2003/04 PE, School Sport and Club Links survey found that 96 per cent. of the 6,547 schools taking part in the survey held a sports day or similar event during the last academic year. A copy of the results of the survey has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

Sixth Form Education (Greater London)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to encourage more students to enter sixth form education within the Greater London area.

Stephen Twigg: The Government are working on a number of fronts, and with a number of partners, to encourage more students into sixth form education, both in London and nationally. In London, the Government:
	have set out plans through the London Challenge to introduce 15–20 new sixth form institutions—whether as free-standing sixth form colleges, in schools or as autonomous centres in FE colleges—by September 2006;
	are introducing Educational Maintenance Allowances from September 2004. An evaluation of the EMA pilot found that 16-year-old participation in full time education increased by 5.9 percentage points amongst the eligible cohort, with greater increases in participation from boys and students from the lowest socio-economic groups;
	are working closely with partners to ensure a coherent approach to 14–19 provision, ensuring that it is diverse and is able to support learners irrespective of their learning needs; and
	are working with London's Learning and Skills Councils to help develop and implement Area Wide Inspection action plans for 14–19 provision, and a pan-London approach to Strategic Area Reviews, to ensure that the quality of provision is of the highest standard.

Under-Age Pregnancy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department takes to involve parents when under-aged pregnant girls seek the advice of a health worker at school; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: The Government continue to support the provision of school-based health services where the school identifies a need. The decision to provide such services, and the content of that service, is for the individual school governing body in consultation with pupils, parents and the school community, information about the services provided should be included in the school's Sex and Relationship Education policy. The aim of school-based health services is to improve young people's access to professional advice and support on a range of health, relationship and emotional issues which may be troubling them.
	For all consultations on contraception, sexual health and pregnancy the legal framework is clear. It involves assessing the young person's competence to understand the choices they are making, under guidelines established in 1986. Professionals are expected to encourage under-16s to talk to their parents and help them find ways of overcoming their apprehension. But where requested, a young person's right to confidentiality is respected unless there are serious child protection issues.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Secondments

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff in his Office and its agencies were seconded from the (a) private and (b) academic sector in each of the last three years.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002.
	The purpose of bringing people into the civil service from other sectors is to fill skills gaps and to provide new perspectives and insights. For the individuals themselves, the secondment provides experience of another sector and an opportunity to enhance existing skills and develop others.
	From 29 May 2002 to 31 March 2003 there were 15 secondees from the private sector and three from the academic sector working in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. From 1 April 2003 until 31 March 2004 there were 13 secondees from the private sector and six secondees from the academic sector working in the Office.

Domestic Violence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many refuge places have been available for victims of domestic violence in each of the past three years.

Yvette Cooper: There were 5,831 units as at 1 April 2003. This figure includes both accommodation in refuges and other forms of provision including floating support services where victims are supported to remain in their own accommodation where appropriate.

Domestic Violence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much Government funding was available in each of the last three years to provide refuge places for women who have experienced domestic violence.

Yvette Cooper: Revenue funding for refuge places is provided through the Supporting People initiative. Information is not readily available for 2002–03 prior to the introduction of Supporting People as funding was provided through a number of different revenue streams.
	Supporting People funding is made available by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for local authorities to provide housing related support services to vulnerable people. Priorities are set locally and the proportion of the funding spent on people vulnerable due to domestic violence is a decision taken locally. When funds are spent on those who are vulnerable due to domestic violence then this does not always take the form of refuge based services. Housing related support can also be made available in other ways such as clients being visited in their own homes.
	In 2003–04, £1,814,096,410 was made available and of this £57,131,302 was spent on services for people vulnerable due to domestic violence.
	In 2004–05, £1,804,997,000 was made available and of this local authorities are spending £56,964,000 on services for people vulnerable due to domestic violence.
	In addition, in April 2003 further measures were announced to support refuge provision through capital programmes over a three year period. In 2003–04 a total of £18.8 million funding was provided for refuge places and to improve existing, run down facilities for women who have experienced domestic violence through the Homelessness and Housing Directorate and Housing Corporation programmes. In 2004–05 and 2005–06, a total of £7.5 million has been allocated for this purpose by the Homelessness and Housing Directorate and a total of £5.8 million by the Housing Corporation.

Electoral Registration

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much each local authority electoral registration department spent per elector in England in each of the last 10 years, listed in descending order by region.

Nick Raynsford: This information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Homelessness

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact prolonged stays in temporary accommodation have on homeless households' ability to access employment opportunities.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made no assessment of the impact of temporary accommodation on the employment prospects of homeless households. However we are aware of the potentially negative impact that prolonged stays in temporary accommodation can have on homeless households employment prospects and also on their health, well being and children's education.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be commissioning a representative survey of homeless families this autumn. This survey will identify both the prevalence of unemployment among families in temporary accommodation, and barriers to entering employment.

Homelessness

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring the rent liability for statutorily homeless households placed in temporary accommodation into line with the average rent for social housing in that local authority area.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to change rent liabilities for statutorily homeless households in temporary accommodation. However, along with the Department for Work and Pensions we are currently discussing possible alternative funding mechanisms for temporary accommodation with the Association of London Government, Greater London Authority and others.

Homelessness

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the London borough of Brent's decision to use some of its dedicated Homelessness Strategy funding to provide enhanced financial incentives to under-occupying tenants moving from family-sized housing to smaller accommodation.

Yvette Cooper: Homelessness grants from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are intended to supplement core funding received in part from Revenue Support Grant and are no longer ring-fenced. Local authorities have discretion as to how they spend the grant, provided that they deliver key outcomes on homelessness. We are aware that the London borough of Brent has been offering financial incentives to under-occupying tenants moving from family sized social housing to smaller accommodation. This type of incentive can be effective in allowing households to move to smaller and more manageable accommodation. It also releases to the authority larger family accommodation of the type generally required to house homeless families. This can help local authorities in their work to avoid the use of inappropriate temporary accommodation and sustain the government's target to end the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless families with children.

Homelessness

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his Answer of 8 March 2004, Official Report, column 1222W, on homelessness, when he expects to publish research into homelessness among people from black and minority ethnic communities.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister commissioned research on homelessness among black and minority ethnic (BME) households in February 2003.
	A draft report and guide to encourage the development of effective homelessness services for BME households has been produced and are being discussed with a selection of local authorities and other key stakeholders in order to improve the usefulness of the final document. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects a final version of the guidance to be ready for publication later this summer. Copies of both documents will be made available in the Library of the House.

Mobile Telephone Masts

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will reply to the Question tabled by the hon. Member for Meriden on 6 May, reference 172312, on mobile telephone mast sitings.

Yvette Cooper: I answered this question on 17 June 2004, Official Report, column 1032W.

Affordable Housing (London)

Martin Linton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable homes were built under section 106 agreements by London boroughs between April 2000 and April 2004.

Keith Hill: The number of affordable homes built under section 106 agreements by London boroughs between April 2000 and March 2004 is as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2000–01 (outturn) 1,106 
			 2001–02 (outturn) 1,610 
			 2002–03 (planned) 2,560 
			 2003–04 (proposed) 3,917 
		
	
	Source:
	"Housing in London 2003", Table 4.3, Greater London Authority

Ordnance Survey

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects the framework document for the Ordnance Survey to be published.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is aware that the publication is overdue. The extended timescales reflect the importance that the Government places on the Framework Document for Ordnance Survey. We expect publication to take place before the summer recess.

Postal Voting

Nigel Evans: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will estimate extra costs incurred in preparing for postal ballots for the elections to be held on 10 June, attributable to problems with printing and distribution of ballot papers.

Nick Raynsford: Returning officers have the contractual relationship with suppliers of ballot packs. They will be submitting claims for their costs of the all postal ballots to the Elections Claims Unit in due course. When those claims have been received, it will be possible to make an estimate of any costs falling on Returning Officers arising from any problems with printing and distribution.

Public Funding (Crosby)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much public funding from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund has been spent in Crosby.

Yvette Cooper: Projects of the value of £13,282,807 and which benefit Crosby and other neighbourhoods in the South Sefton area of Merseyside are currently being funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF).

Public Funding (Crosby)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much public funding has been spent from the Community Participation programmes in Crosby.

Yvette Cooper: The Community Participation Programmes (Community Empowerment Fund, Community Learning Chest and Community Chests) provide funds for the 88 most deprived local authority areas in England. Crosby falls within Sefton , which is one of these areas.
	Community Participation funds are always provided directly to a community or voluntary sector organisation in each of the 88 areas. The Community Empowerment Fund is used to develop and support a Community Empowerment Network (CEN) helping to facilitate community and voluntary sector involvement in the LSP, especially in the most deprived neighbourhoods and hard-to-reach groups. The Community Chest and Learning Chests provide small grants to support a wide range of community activities and to develop the skills and knowledge of local communities so that they can participate in Neighbourhood Renewal at a local level.
	The organisation that administers the Community Empowerment Fund is Sefton Council for Voluntary Service and the Community Foundation for Merseyside administers Community Chest and Community Learning Chests. These organisations identify and agree spending priorities with the Community Empowerment Network and other VCS stakeholders, which is then approved by the Government Office.
	The total Community Participation grant allocation for Sefton over three years (2001–04) is £1,215,434. This financial year (2004–05) the grant allocation for Sefton will be £551,064.

Public Perceptions (Surveys)

Norman Lamb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what surveys of public perceptions of his Department and of its areas of responsibility have taken place over the last 12 months; what the (a) title and (b) nature of these surveys was; what the findings of each survey were; where these findings have been published; what the cost of such surveys was; and if he will make a statement and place copies of the surveys in the Library.

Yvette Cooper: No surveys of public perceptions of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and its areas of responsibility have taken place over the last 12 months.

Radon Gas

Candy Atherton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action he intends to take to tackle radon in Cornish homes.

Phil Hope: Radon is classed as a contaminant and is dealt with under Part C of the Building Regulations. I expect to make an announcement shortly on improvements to Part C.
	Government have provided guidance on radon protection of new homes since the late 1980s. The current guidance, BRE report BR211, "Radon: guidance on protection measures for new dwellings," was last revised in 1999 following the results of a survey of radon levels in all homes in England and Wales. This survey was carried out by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) and was published in 1996.

Temporary Housing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost of providing temporary housing was to each local authority in each of the past 20 years, expressed at today's prices.

Yvette Cooper: The amount reported by local authorities in England as being spent on homelessness from the General Fund Revenue Account for each year from 1987–88 to 2003–04 expressed at 2003–04 prices is tabled as follows. This includes expenditure on homelessness including temporary accommodation, private sector leasing and bed and breakfast accommodation.
	It is not possible to give figures for expenditure on temporary accommodation from the Housing Revenue Account as this is not recorded separately.
	
		General Fund Revenue Account net current expenditure on homelessness at 2003–04 prices
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1987–88 209.1 
			 1988–89 183.3 
			 1989–90 141.7 
			 1990–91 148.1 
			 1991–92 152.0 
			 1992–93 167.9 
			 1993–94 140.8 
			 1994–95 139.9 
			 1995–96 143.3 
			 1996–97 142.0 
			 1997–98 142.5 
			 1998–99 169.7 
			 1999–2000 189.5 
			 2000–01 218.0 
			 2001–02 198.0 
			 2002–03 203.0 
			 2003–04 220.5 
		
	
	The figures have been revalued for previous years at 2003–04 prices using the current Her Majesty's Treasury GDP deflators.
	Figures for the individual local authorities for each year from 1998–99 have been made available in the Library of the house. Individual figures for earlier years are not available.

Urban Regeneration

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what funding has been allocated to the Single Regeneration Budget for financial year (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2005–06, broken down by region; and what funding plans are in place to continue the work of the Single Regeneration Budget from 2005–06 onwards.

Yvette Cooper: The Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) was subsumed into the Regional Development Agencies' Single Programme in April 2002 and remaining expenditure from SRB commitments will be funded from the Single Programme. Information on the level of SRB commitments is not separately collected. Funding for the RDAs' Single Programme is made up from contributions from a number of different Government Departments. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's contribution to the Single Programme is £l,524 million (outturn) for 2003–04 and £1,513 million (planned) for 2005–06. RDAs are continuing to fund regeneration activity from the Single Programme. Funding for all programmes, including those of the RDAs, from 2005–06 is being considered in the 2004 Spending Review.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the level of private sector investment in Afghanistan has been in each of the last three years.

Mike O'Brien: This information is not collected by HMG and there would be a disproportionate cost to obtain the information.

Corus

Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make ex gratia payments to Mr. Paul Thomas and Mr. David Morgan, former employees of Corus, whose cases have been the subject of correspondence with her Department.

Jacqui Smith: I am aware that Mr. Thomas has pressed for payment, for himself and Mr Morgan, under the Iron and Steel Employees Re-adaptation Benefits Scheme (ISERBS) which permits us to make payments to redundant steelworkers under the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Treaty. ISERBS was introduced in 2001 and ECSC rules permitted the scheme to be backdated to include steelworkers made redundant since January 2000. Mr. Morgan and Mr. Thomas were made redundant in 1999. The Government are not able to make ex gratia payments to individuals who do not qualify under the scheme rules.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff have been seconded from the private sector to the Export Credits Guarantee Department in the last 10 years, stating in each case (a) the companies from which they have been seconded and (b) the start and end dates of the secondment.

Mike O'Brien: Four people have been seconded to ECGD from the private sector in the last 10 years. They came respectively from:
	Barclays Bank plc between October 1989 and January 1993;
	British Aerospace for 15 working days over the period June to September 1993;
	HSBC between January 1996 and December 1997; and
	NatWest Bank between July 1997 and February 1999.

Internet Telephony

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the implications for the telecoms sector of the increasing use of internet telephony.

Stephen Timms: New services that can offer consumers lower prices and advanced features are welcome additions to a competitive telecommunications market. Ofcom, the telecommunications and broadcasting regulator, is currently considering the regulatory issues concerning voice over broadband (VoB) services as part of a wider strategic review of telecommunications. It has also consulted on specific issues such as numbering arrangements and runs a VoB industry group.
	The Ofcom Strategic Review of Telecommunications can be found at: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/telecoms review/index.htm
	Details of the VoB industry group can be found at: http://www.ofcom.org.uK/ind groups/ind groups/telecommunications/vob/?a=87101

Kismet Road Project

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the withdrawal by Advantage West Midlands of agreed funding for the Kismet Road project; and what assessment she has made of the effect on companies which have incurred costs as a result.

Jacqui Smith: Advantage West Midlands received an application for funding for the Kismet Road project but was unable to make an offer of support.
	Any funding given by Advantage West Midlands is subject to a formal appraisal process. Early on in the appraisal process, it became clear that Advantage West Midlands could not fund the project because there were irreconcilable anomalies and inconsistencies within the application's proposed funding package and the project offered no acceptable outputs. That decision was communicated to the applicant at the earliest opportunity.

Ministerial Travel

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if she will list the travel costs incurred (a) by her Department and (b) by each Minister within her Department, for each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many journeys were made by helicopter by each Minister in her Department in each of the last 10 years; and what the journey length was in each case.

Patricia Hewitt: In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These reports contain information reaching back from 1995–06. Information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and in some cases will no longer be held. Information for 2003–04 will be published in due course.
	For domestic travel the DTI has devolved to the local management the authorisation of travel claims for its staff, subject to checking procedures. It does not record the costs of taxis, train travel, helicopters or airline tickets used by staff separately. To obtain accurate data for the information requested would entail disproportionate cost.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code of Practice.

Ministerial Travel

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) car, (b) train, (c) aeroplane and (d) helicopter, in each of the last 10 years.

Patricia Hewitt: For part (a) of the question my hon. Friend the Minister of the Cabinet Office has asked Nick Matheson, Chief executive of the Government Car and despatch Agency to write to the hon. Member with details of the cost of ministerial vehicles provided to this Department.
	For parts (b) (c) (d) the DTI has devolved to the local management the authorisation of travel claims for its staff, subject to checking procedures. It does not record the costs of taxis, train travel, helicopters or airline tickets used by staff separately. To obtain accurate data for the information requested would entail disproportionate cost.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code of Practice.

Nirex

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will give an assurance that the Government's intentions on the future role of Nirex will be made public before the Energy Bill completes its passage through the House.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 7 June 2004
	The Government are working hard to determine the future of Nirex and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food an Rural Affairs will announce the outcome of its review as soon as it has been completed. I am not as yet able to give a firm date for the announcement.

Ruth Lea

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions the Permanent Secretary of the Department has had concerning Ruth Lea while she was employed by the Institute of Directors; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: The details of meetings held internally between officials, or privately between officials and third parties, are exempt from disclosure under exemptions 2 and 14 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, protecting internal discussion and information given in confidence respectively.

Secondments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff in her Department and its agencies were seconded from the (a) private and (b) academic sector in each of the last three years.

Patricia Hewitt: The purpose of bringing people into the Civil Service from other sectors is to fill skills gaps and to add external dimensions and insights. For the individuals themselves, the secondment provides experience of another sector and an opportunity to enhance existing skills and develop others.
	The following table shows the secondments from (a) the private sector and (b) the academic sector for the last three years:
	
		
			  Secondments from the private sector Secondments from the academic sector 
		
		
			 2001–02 72 3 
			 2002–03 64 1 
			 2003–04 57 3 
		
	
	Letter from Claire Clancy to Mr. Bob Spink, dated 18 June 2004
	I am responding to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.
	Companies House has not seconded any individuals from either the private or academic sector in the last three years.
	Letter from Desmond Flynn to Mr. Bob Spink, dated 18 June 2004
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2003/3107) asking how many staff in its agencies were seconded from the (a) private and (b) academic sector in each of the last three years.
	The Insolvency Service seconded one member of staff from the private sector during the last three years. The secondment ended in August 2001.

Sellafield

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects Sellafield's new mixed oxide plant to become fully operational.

Stephen Timms: The Sellafield MOX Plant (SMP) is currently manufacturing Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX) as part of the final stages of commissioning the plant. Formal consent to operate SMP will be sought from the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (Nil), the regulatory body in late 2005, subject to the plant achieving its manufacturing schedule.

Sickness Absence

Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many days were lost in her Department through sickness absence in the year ending 31 March 2004.

Patricia Hewitt: In the year 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004, the headquarters of the Department of Trade and Industry (including Small Business Service and UK Trade and Investment) lost 30,910 days due to sick absence. These figures include weekend days where absences span the weekend.
	The figures can be further broken down to show that 21,184 of these days were certified and 9,726 were uncertified.

Southampton Port

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to support the competitive position of the port of Southampton.

Jacqui Smith: It is for the Port of Southampton to determine their own future investment needs in discussion with the appropriate authorities. The Government through the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) would be keen to work with the port to develop its future strategy.

Surveys

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what surveys of public perceptions of her Department and of its areas of responsibility have taken place over the last 12 months; what the (a) title and (b) nature of these surveys was; what the findings of each survey were; where these findings have been published; what the cost of such surveys was; and if she will make a statement and place copies of the surveys in the Library.

Patricia Hewitt: My department commissions surveys from time to time of customers' views of its services so as to help improve those services. Recent examples over the last 12 months include:
	"Fair Markets Stakeholder Survey"
	"Survey of DTI Customers in the Business Relations and Energy Group Areas"
	DTI has received some initial findings from these surveys, but the full reports are not yet ready for publication. However, early indications from the survey of DTI's Fair Markets stakeholders include that DTI was rated highly on effective stakeholder engagement, with professional and competent staff who are good at delivering on strategy and policy. Comments suggest that we could improve our consultations by engaging stakeholders earlier and providing feedback after each consultation.
	The total combined costs of these surveys were approximately £60,000.

Working Time Directive

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees in her Department have (a) signed a formal opt out from and (b) are exempt from the Working Time Directive; and how many employees in her Department have recorded hours, including any accruing on a flexitime basis, in excess of the maximum allowed under the Working Time Directive in the last month for which figures are available.

Patricia Hewitt: Formal opt-out forms from the Working Time Directive and flexitime forms are held at local management level and are not readily available centrally.
	DTI does not collect data on those who are exempt from the Working Time Directive, as all DTI employees are covered by the Regulations.

Yumi Yet Bridge

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Export Credits Guarantee Department has been approached for support for Phase 2 of the Yumi Yet Bridge Development Programme in Papua New Guinea.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 8 June 2004
	For reasons of commercial confidentiality, ECGD does not normally reveal details of applications for cover it receives in respect of prospective export transactions.
	Nevertheless, in this instance, Mabey and Johnson Ltd. has agreed to ECGD disclosing that it has applied for cover in respect of Phase 2 of the Yumi Yet Bridge Programme in PNG.
	However ECGD has not yet taken a decision on whether to provide cover for this follow on business.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are set for doctors and psychiatrists who offer themselves as expert witnesses on autistic spectrum disorders.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 15 June 2004
	In criminal law, where matters fall outside the ordinary knowledge of the court, the court may allow the opinions of an expert witness to be admitted as evidence. If either the prosecution or the defence wishes to adduce the evidence of an expert witness, they are obliged to disclose the expert's statement to the other side in advance of the trial. The other side may then request further details from the expert. This obligation also allows the other side sufficient time to prepare their arguments if they wish to challenge the expert witness.
	The decision whether or not to allow the evidence of an expert witness to be admitted rests with the court, which must be satisfied that the material comes within a recognized field of expertise and that the witness is indeed an expert in that field. It is for the jury to decide what weight ought to be placed on any expert evidence that has been admitted.
	One exception to these general rules is that, under the Criminal Procedure (Insanity and Unfitness to Plead) Act 1991, a defendant shall not be acquitted on the grounds of insanity, or found unfit to plead, except on the evidence of two or more registered medical practitioners, at least one of whom is approved by the Secretary of State as having special experience in the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorder.

Protection from Harassment Act

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the total number of restraining orders made under section 5 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 after a conviction under section 2 of the Act was in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003, broken down by sex of the defendant;
	(2)  what the total number of restraining orders made under section 5 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 after a conviction under section 4 of the Act was in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003, broken down by sex of the defendant;
	(3)  what the total number of applications alleging a breach of a section 5 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 restraining order resulting in a conviction was in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003, broken down by gender;
	(4)  what the total number of applications alleging a breach of a section 5 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 restraining order resulting in an acquittal was, broken down by gender, in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003;
	(5)  how many magistrates, court and Crown court prosecutions under section 4 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 resulted in (a) conviction and (b) acquittal in (i) 2001, (ii) 2002 and (iii) 2003, broken down by sex of defendant.

Paul Goggins: Table A shows the number of persons sentenced to a restraining order following a conviction for an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, sections 2 and 4 at all courts in England and Wales during 2001 and 2002.
	
		Table A: Number of persons sentenced to a restraining order after being found guilty of an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, sections 2 or 4, all courts, England and Wales, 2001 and 2002
		
			   Statute   Offence description   Year   Sex Sentenced to a restraining order(2) 
		
		
			 Protection from Offence of 2001 Male 1,057 
			 Harassment Act harassment  Female 147 
			 1997, Section 2   Total 1,204 
			  
			   2002 Male 1,235 
			Female 146 
			Total 1,381 
			  
			 Protection from Putting people in 2001 Male 141 
			 Harassment Act fear of violence  Female 9 
			 1997, Section 4   Total 150 
			  
			   2002 Male 192 
			Female 13 
			Total 205 
		
	
	(2) These data are on the principal offence basis (but including primary and secondary disposals).
	Table B shows the number of persons acquitted or found guilty at all courts of the offence of breaching a restraining order under section 5 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, in England and Wales during 2001 and 2002.
	
		Table B: Number of persons acquitted or convicted of breaching a restraining order under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, section 5, at all courts, England and Wales 2001 and 2002 1
		
			 Statute Offence description Year Sex Acquitted 2 Found guilty 
		
		
			 Protection from Harassment Act 1997, Section 5 Breach of restraining order 2001 Male 57 501 
			Female 6 38 
			Total 63 539 
			   
			   2002 Male 59 556 
			Female 7 48 
			Total 66 604 
		
	
	(3) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(4) Charge dismissed at magistrates' courts.
	Table C shows the number of persons acquitted or found guilty at both magistrates' courts and the Crown Court of offences under sections 2 and 4 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, in England and Wales during 2001 and 2002.
	
		Table: C Number of persons acquitted or found guilty of offences under sections 2 and 4 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, England and Wales 2001 to 2002 1
		
			 Magistrates' courts The Crown court 
			 Statute Offence description Year Sex Charge dismissed Found guilty Acquitted Found guilty 
		
		
			 Protection from Harassment Act Offence of harassment 2001 Male 372 2,377 18 98 
			 1997, Section 2   Female 65 320 4 11 
			Total 437 2,697 22 109 
			 
			   2002 Male 411 2,422 14 107 
			Female 71 328 5 6 
			Total 482 2,750 19 113 
			 
			 Protection from Harassment Act Putting people in fear of 2001 Male 84 371 91 178 
			 1997, Section 4 violence  Female 11 32 13 9 
			Total 95 403 104 187 
			 
			   2002 Male 73 376 86 223 
			Female 7 26 11 13 
			Total 80 402 97 236 
		
	
	(5) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the Autumn of this year.

Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated to assess whether experiments on animals can be scientifically reproduced using other methods and subjects.

Caroline Flint: The Home Office has not commissioned or evaluated any formal research to demonstrate that experiments on animals cannot be scientifically reproduced using other methods and subjects, and has no plans to do so. Instead, the assessment of project licence applications under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 focuses on these issues on a case by case basis. Under the 1986 Act, the use of animals in regulated procedures is prohibited where a scientifically valid, non-animal alternative is available.

Burials

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been introduced by the Government in response to the shortage of space for further burials in cemeteries and graveyards.

Paul Goggins: The Government are aware of concerns over the potential lack of appropriate burial space, particularly within built up urban areas. The current public consultation exercise "Burial law and policy in the 21st Century: the need for a sensitive and sustainable approach" seeks views on the existing arrangements for providing cemeteries and the on the possibility of re-using old ones. The results of this exercise, which is part of the on-going review of burial law and ends on 13 July 2004, will help to inform the Government's decision on how best to proceed.

Corporate Killing

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to publish a Bill on corporate killing.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 15 June 2004
	The Government are firmly committed to reforming the law on corporate manslaughter. We plan to publish a draft Bill before the end of the current session.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 10 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. S. Nyathi.

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 17 June 2004.

Crime Victims/Witnesses (Crosby)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the residents of Crosby have benefited from the national strategy to improve services for witnesses and victims of crime.

Paul Goggins: Criminal Justice Boards have been established in each of the 42 criminal justice areas in England and Wales and their work includes delivering the Government's Public Service Agreement targets to bring more offences to justice, improve public confidence in the Criminal Justice System and increase victim and witness satisfaction.
	Every Criminal Justice Board has produced a plan to improve services to victims and witnesses.
	As part of the No Witness, No Justice programme, Witness Care Units are being established in every criminal justice area to provide a single point of contact for victims and witnesses. The provisional dates for rollout in Merseyside are between 1 April and 1 October 2005.
	In February 2004, the first pilot to help vulnerable witnesses of crime with communication difficulties to give evidence was launched in Merseyside.
	The Home Office is funding three pilots to test out the best approach to supporting victims of road traffic incidents. Aftermath Support, in Merseyside is one of these schemes and is provided by local partners.

Criminal Justice Interventions Programme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what relationship the National Offender Management Service will have to the Criminal Justice Interventions Programme; and who will allocate staffing to Criminal Justice Interventions Programmes from within the National Offender Management Service management structure.

Paul Goggins: The Criminal Justice Interventions Programme is a critical part of the Government's national strategy for tackling drugs. Its implementation is being phased and delivery at a local level is through community-based Criminal Justice Integrated Teams (CJITs) which adopt a case management approach to offer access to drug treatment and support for drug misusing offenders.
	With the creation of the National Offender Management Service we envisage that the drugs case manager will be the link to and, in some cases, the provider of drug treatment services. The Regional Offender Manager will be responsible for ensuring proper links are established within his or her region between offender managers and CJITs. This will avoid duplication and ensure a fully integrated package of support and management to drug misusing offenders before, during and after sentence.

Domestic Violence

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action the Government is taking on domestic violence other than imprisonment of offenders.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 10 June 2004
	Domestic violence is a horrific crime, which claims the lives of around two women a week. This Government is determined to tackle it.
	The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill is the biggest overhaul of domestic violence legislation for thirty years. It is a key part of the Government's aim of putting victims at the heart of the criminal justice system and part of our wider domestic violence strategy to protect and support victims, as well as bringing
	perpetrators to justice.
	A broad range of other initiatives are being taken forward by the Inter-Ministerial Group on Domestic Violence. These initiatives include important developments in health, education and housing as well as the civil and criminal justice systems. This year we are investing £56.97 million on domestic violence services as part of the Supporting People Program. Following a positive evaluation of the effectiveness of five specialist domestic violence courts in what further action we can take to improve Court Services for victims of domestic violence.

Domestic Violence

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women have been killed by (a) intimate partners and (b) family members in incidents in each of the last five years for which statistics are available; and in how many of these cases children were also killed.

Paul Goggins: The latest available information on homicide is published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin number 01/04, "Crime in England and Wales 2002/2003: Supplementary Volume 1: Homicide and Gun Crime". It provides information on gender of victims and relationship of victim to suspect. The Bulletin does not identify individual cases where children were also killed.
	For England and Wales, the available information on women homicide victims killed by partners/ex-partners and others known to them is given in the table.
	
		
			  Partner/ex-partner Other known(6) 
		
		
			 1998–99 76 82 
			 1999–2000 88 55 
			 2000–01 98 76 
			 2001–02 120 64 
			 2002–03 107 85 
		
	
	(6) Other known includes relationships of victim to principal suspect of son/daughter, parent, other family, friend and acquaintance.
	Note:
	Figures are as at 13 November 2003 and are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police, by the courts or as further information becomes available.

Domestic Violence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the performance indicators against which he plans to measure the (a) medium and (b) long-term success of his domestic violence strategy.

Paul Goggins: We intend to measure the effectiveness of our domestic violence strategy over the medium and long term using the following indicators:
	Homicides as a result of domestic violence;
	Headline prevalence of domestic violence (as measured by the British Crime Survey Inter-Personal Violence module);
	Numbers of (a) young people and (b) all people who think that violence is acceptable in some circumstances;
	Percentage of domestic violence incidents with a power of arrest where an arrest was made related to incident and, of this, the percentage of partner-on-partner violence (within the Policing Performance Assessment Framework).
	A new indicator covering rates of attrition in domestic violence;
	The number of civil orders made;
	A new Best Value Performance Indicator designed to assess the overall effectiveness of local authority services to domestic violence victims. This will shortly go out for consultation with local authorities, and it part of a suite of indicators which will be piloted in the autumn and introduced in April 2005;
	An indicator relating to victim satisfaction with the support they have received from key agencies.

Domestic Violence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what easy-to-understand guidance he has issued for practitioners on the sharing of personal information where domestic violence is (a) suspected and (b) disclosed to them.

Paul Goggins: The Home Office Development and Practice Report 30, "Safety and justice: sharing personal information in the context of domestic violence—an overview", was published at the National Victims Conference on 28 April 2004.
	The report, which was endorsed by the Information Commissioner and by the Inter-Ministerial Group on Domestic Violence, provides an introduction to responsible and lawful sharing of personal and sensitive information between practitioners in domestic violence contexts in England and Wales. It also demonstrates that sharing personal and sensitive information can be done in a legal, pragmatic and straightforward way. We have also developed a web-based tool to accompany the report. This can be accessed at www.crimereduction.gov.uk.

Domestic Violence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many calls there have been to the domestic violence hotline in each month since its introduction.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	There have been 26,070 calls to the national domestic violence helpline (0808 2000 247) jointly operated by Refuge and Women's Aid between its launch on 15 December 2003 and 15 June 2004. In addition, Women's Aid have received 42,691 calls on their previous help-line number, and Refuge 43,890 calls on their previous numbers. A monthly breakdown of these figures is given as follows.
	
		Calls made to the national domestic violence helpline 
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 December 2003 1,345 
			 January 2004 3,382 
			 February 2004 3,654 
			 March 2004 5,933 
			 April 2004 3,956 
			 May 2004 4,098 
			 June 2004 3,702

Driving Offences

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were sent to prison for causing death by dangerous driving in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The information for England and Wales for the years 2000 to 2002 is contained in the table. Data for 2003 will not be available until the autumn.
	
		Persons sentenced to immediate custody(7) at all courts for causing death by dangerous driving(8), England and Wales 2000 to 2002
		
			  Total 3 
		
		
			 2000 166 
			 2001 193 
			 2002 199 
		
	
	(7) Includes unsuspended imprisonment, detention under sec90/92(PCC(S))A2000), detention in a young offender institution and detention and training orders.
	(8) An offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s.1 as added by the Road Traffic Act 1991 s.1.
	(9) These data are on the principal offence basis.

Firearms

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to review procedures governing the use of firearms by the police.

Caroline Flint: There are no plans to further review procedures governing the use of firearms by police. The Code of Practice on the Police Use of Firearms and Less Lethal Weapons, which was published in December 2003, sets out the basic principles in relation to the selection, testing, acquisition and use of firearms and less lethal weapons by police. The Association of Chief Police Officers also issue a detailed manual of guidance to police forces.

Firearms

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents resulting in (a) fatalities, (b) serious injuries and (c) minor injuries have occurred (i) in miniature rifle ranges exempted from certification or involving weapons linked to such ranges and (ii) on theatrical, film and television productions under present exemptions or involving weapons held under such exemptions in each of the last 10 years.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 9 June 2004
	Information available centrally relates only to recorded crimes resulting in injury or death and in any event does not record the location where the injury was sustained.

Firearms

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences there were involving shotgun cartridges or components derived from them other than in the circumstance of a crime where a shotgun itself is discharged in each of the last 10 years.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 9 June 2004
	The information requested is not collected centrally.

FRANK Communications Campaign (Corby)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the FRANK communications campaign has benefited the residents of Crosby.

Caroline Flint: Crosby sits under the Sefton Drug Action Team (DAT) area. This DAT, in partnership with local agencies, has used the FRANK campaign materials to communicate to the local population on drug and community safety issues. These have been used in schools, pupil referral units, colleges and youth centres throughout the DAT area inclusive of Crosby. In addition, 120,000 homes in Crosby will be sent information in the next few weeks about the FRANK 24 hour helpline, website and email service, in a community safety magazine commissioned by Merseyside police. Local data are not available, but nationally there have been over 1.5 million visits to the website and over 425,000 calls to the helpline.

Funeral Rites

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in the UK chose to have their mortal remains (a) cremated, (b) buried and (c) otherwise disposed of in each year since 1997 (i) in total and (ii) expressed as a percentage of all deaths per year.

Paul Goggins: This information is not collected centrally. The number of cremations in recent years has levelled at just over 70 per cent. (72 per cent. of 612,000 deaths in 2002). All other deaths are dealt with by burial or by other means (eg repatriation of the body out of England) and these details are not held centrally.

Holloway Prison

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents involving self harm there have been in Holloway Prison in each of the past three years.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 14 June2004
	The information requested is provided in the following table:
	
		Holloway Prison
		
			  Number of recorded incidents of self- harm (not the number of individuals) 
		
		
			 2001 542 
			 2002 765 
			 2003 (10)851 
		
	
	(10) In December 2002, a new form for reporting self-injury (the F213SH) was introduced across the prisons estate in England and Wales, which is known to have improved reporting practices. Much of the increase in reported self-harm in 2003 may result from the change in reporting procedures rather than reflect an actual increase in incidence of self-harm.
	Women prisoners will benefit from a specifically targeted and separate suicide prevention and self-harm management strategy being developed for them. This draws upon specialist knowledge of suicidal and self-harming behaviour among women prisoners, and builds upon a number of interventions including: individual crisis counselling for women prisoners who self-harm; the continued development and evaluation of dialectical behaviour therapy, which is currently being trialled at Durham, Bullwood Hall and Holloway prisons; investment and planning to ensure progress on the detoxification strategy in women's prisons; and the introduction of a new training pack for all staff working with women in custody, which includes a module on the health and well-being of women prisoners. A total of £1 million from the Department of Health has been allocated to women's prisons to be spent on the recruitment of psychiatric nurses.

Juvenile Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to prisons wishing to apply for late release of juveniles.

Paul Goggins: Late release provides a sanction where a young person subject to a Detention and Training Order (DTO) has been violent, dangerous or destructive while in custody, or has consistently failed to co-operate or to take responsibility for his or her behaviour. Applications for late release require the approval of a court.
	No specific guidance has been issued on the procedure for applying for late release. The introduction in May 2002 of presumptive early release with electronic monitoring provided an alternative sanction in many cases, in that DTO trainees who exhibit a pattern of bad behaviour can be required to remain in custody to the end of the first part of their Order. We are currently reviewing policy on late release in the light of establishments' experience, particularly over the two years since electronically monitored early release was made available.

Juvenile Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times each prison has applied for the late release of a juvenile prisoner in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Section 102(5) of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 enables a youth court, on application from the Secretary of State, to order that a young person serving a Detention and Training Order (DTO) of eight months or more should be released one month after the half-way point of the Order. (A young person serving 18 or 24 months can, alternatively, be ordered to be released two months after the half-way point.)
	The following table shows late release applications by Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) in the period beginning with the introduction of the DTO on 1 April 2000 up until 31 May 2004.
	
		
			 YOI Late release applications Approved Awaiting court hearing 
		
		
			 Ashfield 0 — — 
			 Brinsford 4 3 1 
			 Castlington 0 — — 
			 Feltham 0 — — 
			 Hindley 0 — — 
			 Huntercombe 0 — — 
			 Lancaster farms 3 3 — 
			 Onley 0 — — 
			 Parc 0 — — 
			 Stoke Heath 3 1 — 
			 Thorn Cross 0 — — 
			 Warren Hill 0 — — 
			 Werrington 0 — — 
			 Wetherby 0 — — 
			 Brockhill 0 — — 
			 Bullwood Hall 0 — — 
			 Eastwood Park 0 — — 
			 New Hall 0 — —

National Offender Management Service

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the all-Wales probation board will be organised at a local level in the new National Offender Management Service.

Paul Goggins: While the precise arrangements in Wales have not yet been agreed, the National Offender Management Service will ensure that effective links with bodies such as Local Criminal Justice Boards, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, Drug Action Teams and local authorities, are maintained and developed. All Regional Offender Managers—including the offender manager for Wales—will be required to establish these links within their region and develop other community and neighbourhood networks as appropriate.

Police (Specialist Skills)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many police officers are trained to handle digital evidence;
	(2)  how many police officers are (a) serving with computer crime units and (b) have higher level forensic skills.

Caroline Flint: The allocation of officers to computer crime units and the training of officers in these and other units in forensic investigation skills is a matter for individual chief officers. There are no centrally aggregated figures of these resources.
	However, every police force in England and Wales has expertise in the recovery and analysis of forensic evidence. These skills are utilised in a variety of investigations. With regards to training officers who are not part of specialist units, there is a module included in the probationary training for all new police officers covering the internet and new technology. Centrex are also developing an online training package for existing officers.
	This month the Home Office has produced tactical guidance for managers of computer crime units within forces, which includes advice on running these units and practical guidance on procedures and tools for forensic analysis.

Prison Staff

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Prison Officers' Association regarding proposed changes to the uniform worn by staff in young offender institutions.

Paul Goggins: The Prison Officers' Association has objected formally to a Prison Service proposal to introduce a more relaxed style of uniform in establishments holding juveniles. Discussions to resolve the disagreement are continuing.

Prisoners

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) women and (b) men were being held in prison on 12 March; how many prisoners were released on early release on 12 March; how many prisoners were eligible for early release on 12 March; and how many prisoners were released on 12 March.

Paul Goggins: On 12 March 2004 there were 4,569 females and 70,451 males being held in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales. There were an estimated 175 prisoners with a sentence length of three months to less than four years whose Home Detention Curfew (HDC) eligibility date was 12 March 2004. On that date, 77 prisoners were actually released on HDC.
	Some prisoners with a sentence length of three months to less than four years do not quality for HDC because of the nature of their current or previous offences.
	In addition, the figure of 175 will exclude a small number of prisoners in the population who were on remand at the time of the count, but were subsequently sentenced to a custodial sentence suitable for HOC and whose HOC eligibility date falls on 12 March 2004. This occurs when they have spent a significant period on remand.
	A further 623 prisoners were discharged by other means on 12 March 2004, not including discharges following recall after release on licence, fine defaulters and non-criminals.

Prisons

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many life sentence prisoners have been released on parole in each month since January 1995.

Paul Goggins: Release details for all life sentence prisoners are only available in the monthly format requested from 1 April 2000 onwards. Information for the period 1995–99 is available only by calendar year.
	The annual release figures for the calendar years 1995–99 are as follows.
	
		
			  Number (first time releases only) 
		
		
			 1995 92 
			 1996 85 
			 1997 98 
			 1998 98 
			 1999 122 
		
	
	The release details from 1 April 2000 onwards are shown in the table.
	
		Releases on life licence April 2000—March 2004
		
			 Month Year Number of releases 
		
		
			 April (11)2000 8 
			 May (11)2000 13 
			 June (11)2000 19 
			 July (11)2000 13 
			 August (11)2000 4 
			 September (11)2000 7 
			 October (11)2000 8 
			 November (11)2000 6 
			 December (11)2000 4 
			 January (11)2001 16 
			 February (11)2001 14 
			 March (11)2001 13 
			 April 2001 25 
			 May 2001 12 
			 June 2001 14 
			 July 2001 11 
			 August 2001 17 
			 September 2001 9 
			 October 2001 18 
			 November 2001 15 
			 December 2001 10 
			 January 2002 10 
			 February 2002 13 
			 March 2002 10 
			 April 2002 12 
			 May 2002 17 
			 June 2002 12 
			 July 2002 22 
			 August 2002 26 
			 September 2002 14 
			 October 2002 26 
			 November 2002 14 
			 December 2002 18 
			 January 2003 18 
			 February 2003 28 
			 March 2003 29 
			 April 2003 18 
			 May 2003 30 
			 June 2003 22 
			 July 2003 38 
			 August 2003 32 
			 September 2003 22 
		
	
	(11) Relates to first time release cases only. Subsequent data includes cases where prisoners have been re-released following recall from life licence.
	
		Releases on life licence April 2000—March 2004
		
			 Month Year Number of releases 
		
		
			 October 2003 40 
			 November 2003 15 
			 December 2003 30 
			 January 2004 15 
			 February 2004 31 
			 March 2004 38 
		
	
	The lifer population in June 1995 stood at just under 3,300 and has risen at roughly 8 per cent. per year to the current level of over 5,500. This increase in population has been reflected in the number of lifer cases considered each year by the independent Parole Board and in the number of cases where release was recommended (or directed) by panels. Following the European Court of Human Rights judgment in the case of Stafford in May 2002, the Parole Board is now responsible for the release of all tariff expired lifers, including mandatory lifers.

Prisons

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the Prison Service uses Contracted Supplementary Hours rather than ex-gratia payments to cover for staff shortfalls.

Paul Goggins: Contracted Supplementary Hours is a contracted agreement between management and staff for working additional hours, allowing advance planning of attendance patterns to cover periods of staff shortfall. For this purpose, Contracted Supplementary Hours are used in place of ex-gratia payments, which are primarily one-off payments to cover individual circumstances in unforeseen cases of operational emergency.

Prisons

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of the Contracted Supplementary Hours scheme to cover for staff shortfalls in the Prison Service.

Paul Goggins: The Contracted Supplementary Hours scheme was introduced to provide prison governors with the flexibility to provide immediate additional working hours to meet operational needs. Since it has been in operation for the majority of prisons for just over a year, no assessment has yet been made on the cost-effectiveness of the scheme in covering staff shortfalls in the Prison Service.

Prisons

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the relative cost-effectiveness and flexibility of ex-gratia payments in covering for staff shortfalls.

Paul Goggins: Ex-gratia payments provide flexibility in individual circumstances for unforeseen cases of operational emergency. In view of the unpredictable nature of these payments, it would be very difficult to draw generalised conclusions about them. Hence, no assessment has been made to date of their cost-effectiveness.

Prisons

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average ratio of prisoners to wardens was in (a) privately and (b) publicly run prisons in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by category.

Paul Goggins: The information is as follows:
	
		Contracted prisons(12)
		
			  Category Ratio for the number of prisoners to prison custody officers(13) 
		
		
			 Category B 3.97 
			 Category C 3.63 
			 Juvenile 1.61 
		
	
	(12) Privately operated.
	(13) Prison custody officers are the equivalent of the public prisons prison officer.
	
		Public prisons
		
			  Category Ratio for the number of prisoners to prison officers 
		
		
			 Category B 2.78 
			 Category C 3.58 
			 Juvenile 1.78

Prisons

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time teachers are employed in each London prison.

Paul Goggins: There are 64 full-time teachers employed in the London prisons, broken down as follows:
	
		
			 Prison Number 
		
		
			 Wandsworth 10 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 10 
			 Feltham 17 
			 Holloway 6 
			 Pentonville 4 
			 Brixton 8 
			 Latchmere 0 
			 Belmarsh 9 
			 Total 64 
		
	
	Learning opportunities for prisoners are also provided by a range of other staff including part-time teachers employed by the contractor, Instructional Officers, Prison Officer Instructors and other prison staff.

Probation Service

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prisoners and (b) people under supervision of the probation service have obtained qualifications in basic skills in Merseyside in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: Until 2000 there were no clear definitions of what an adult should be expected to know, understand and do at each level of literacy, numeracy and spoken language. The Government's Skills for Life strategy is raising levels of adult basic skills through the introduction of national standards and curriculum documents for listening, speaking, reading, writing and numeracy. These now provide the framework for all adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL screening tests, diagnostic tools, programmes of study and qualifications.
	In 2002–03 central monitoring of literacy, numeracy and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) was introduced for offenders under the supervision of the National Probation Service (NPS). This is the first year for which national targets were set. Targets were introduced in Prison Service establishments in 2000–01, from which date only aggregate figures are available. 2002–03 is the first year from which figures are available at establishment level.
	The number of qualifications obtained by offenders in prison and under probation supervision in Merseyside from 2002–03 is contained in the tables:
	
		Basic skills qualifications: offenders in custody
		
			  Target Achieved 
		
		
			 2002–03 506 915 
			 2003–04 692 938 
		
	
	
		Basic skills qualifications: offenders under probation supervision
		
			  Target Achieved 
		
		
			 2002–03 38 95 
			 2003–04 155 234

Probation Service

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to maintain community and local involvement in the probationary services as part of the restructuring process.

Paul Goggins: The National Offender Management Service will ensure that effective links with bodies such as local criminal justice boards, crime and disorder reduction partnerships, drug action teams and local authorities, are maintained and developed. All regional offender managers will be required to establish these links within their region and to develop other community and neighbourhood networks as appropriate.

Project Reflex

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Project Reflex.

Caroline Flint: Reflex is the government's response to organised immigration crime. It was established in 2000 as a multi-agency task force to co-ordinate intelligence and the law enforcement response. Led by the National Crime Squad (NCS), Reflex brings together the key agencies involved in combating organised immigration crime including the Immigration Service, the National Criminal Intelligence Service, the security and intelligence agencies, the UK Passport Service, government departments including the Crown Prosecution Service and key police forces.
	Based on its initial success Reflex was awarded £60 million over three years starting in April 2003. The core aims of Reflex are to raise the risks that organised crime gangs must take, render their illegal businesses unprofitable and reduce the opportunities for them to exploit communities.
	Reflex targets criminal groups involved in the volume facilitation of illegal migrants, human trafficking (in particular the trafficking of women and children) and running the criminal infrastructures that serve both to facilitate illegal entry and to exploit the illegal population once in the UK.
	Between April 2003 and April 2004 reflex resulted in 38 disruptions. In the same period Reflex operations resulted in 38 convictions.

Secure Units

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that children sent to secure units are contained as near to their families as possible.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 25 May 2004
	The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) is responsible for commissioning and purchasing secure accommodation for young people who receive custodial sentences, and for placement decisions.
	It aims to improve the geographical spread of places suitable for the younger and more vulnerable young people in secure training centres (STCs) and local authority secure children's homes (LASCHs). It has already expanded two STCs by a total of 64 places and a new one is due to open this summer at Oakhill, Milton Keynes. Based on modelling of the home locations of young people placed since April 2000, the 80 places it will provide—in exchange for withdrawal from 64 LASCH places—will significantly improve the geographical coverage in particular for young offenders from north London.

Sentencing Guidelines Council

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is envisaged that the Sentencing Guidelines Council will examine the case for reducing sentence lengths for less serious offences.

Paul Goggins: The Government believe that less serious offenders should be punished by fines or community penalties; prison should be reserved for serious, dangerous and persistent offenders. The Sentencing Guidelines Council will issue guidance on the appropriate sentences for all offences. One of its first tasks is to look at the use of the generic community sentence established by the Criminal Justice Act 2003. The Government believe that this new sentence offers the opportunity for more offenders to be punished in the community and to increase the opportunities for rehabilitation.

Shoplifting

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women were imprisoned for shoplifting offences in Greater London in the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Number of persons sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for stealing from shops and stalls in the Greater London Area(14), 1998 to 2002 2
		
			   Sentenced to immediate custody 
			 Offence Year Male Female Total 
		
		
			 Stealing from shops and stalls 1998 1,957 415 2,372 
			  1999 2,225 418 2,643 
			  2000 2,394 481 2,875 
			  2001 2,290 435 2,725 
			  2002 2,730 518 3,248 
		
	
	(14) Metropolitan and City of London police force areas.
	(15) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	It should be noted that courts' sentencing decisions are influenced by the seriousness of the offence and take into account previous convictions.
	Statistics for 2003 will be published in the autumn.

Women Prisoners

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many female prisoners were electronically tagged in (a) England and (b) Wales during the period between January and December 2003; and what the most recent available figures are for 2004.

Paul Goggins: In 2003 there were 2,153 female prisoners released on the Home Detention Curfew scheme (HDC). Between 1 January 2004 and 30 April 2004, there were 689 female prisoners released on HDC. These prisoners were all released from prisons in England There are no prisons for females in Wales. The country (i.e. England or Wales) in which electronically tagged prisoners reside on release is not recorded centrally.

Women Prisoners

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women's places were not used in bail hostels in (a) England and (b) Wales during the period between January and December 2003; and what the most recent figures are for 2004.

Paul Goggins: There are currently 100 approved probation and bail hostels throughout the 42 probation areas which make up the National Probation Service for England and Wales. They provide a total of 2,238 places, of which 2,016 are for men and 222 for women. These approved premises broadly accept three categories of residents; bailees, those on community orders with a condition of residence at the approved premises, and those on licence following release from a custodial sentence. Five of these premises (all based in probation areas in England), are for women only. A further 28 premises (three of which are in Wales) provide mixed accommodation. However, no published data is available on how many women's places were not utilised during 2003 or 2004.

Women Prisoners

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many custodial sentences being served by female prisoners of one month or less were imposed on female convicts and served at HMP Holloway in the last year.

Paul Goggins: Of the women serving custodial sentences at Holloway in the last year, 123 had received sentences of one month or less. The Government does not believe that these kind of short sentences are generally effective in reducing re-offending which is why we are introducing the Generic Community Sentencewhich will enable sentencers to choose from a range of measures appropriate for each individual offender and Custody Plus which will ensure that short periods of custody are followed up with effective supervision in the community.

Women Prisoners

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many female prisoners were in England and Wales (a) broken down by prison and (b) as a total in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: The number of female prisoners in England and Wales, broken down by establishment and as a total, on 30 June in each year since 1997 is given in the table.
	
		Female prison population by establishment—England and Wales, 30 June
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Askham Grange 131 126 113 113 128 135 122 
			 Birmingham 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Brockhill 135 132 145 155 150 161 155 
			 Buckley Hall 0 0 0 0 0 203 308 
			 Bullwood Hall 125 134 137 160 162 181 163 
			 Cookham Wood 147 161 147 137 151 144 143 
			 Downview 0 0 0 0 0 245 212 
			 Drake Hall 281 275 209 162 232 276 303 
			 Durham 42 45 103 96 104 97 107 
			 East Sutton Park 95 97 96 70 89 95 99 
			 Eastwood Park 125 259 277 301 299 322 286 
			 Foston Hall 0 134 171 167 156 207 224 
			 Highpoint 204 206 198 201 251 270 293 
			 Holloway 524 516 501 490 474 480 465 
			 Low Newton 47 83 105 207 251 286 268 
			 Morton Hall 0 0 0 0 188 188 347 
			 New Hall 317 364 379 366 347 348 374 
			 Risley 152 160 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Send 0 55 89 201 216 215 216 
			 Styal 267 281 446 449 424 455 426 
			 Winchester 80 91 91 80 91 86 84 
			 Total 2,672 3,120 3,207 3,355 3,713 4,394 4,595

Women Prisoners

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the women's unit at HMP Durham will close; where the female inmates at HMP Durham will be moved to; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Durham is to change its role from a high security prison to a community prison by April of next year and will no longer be holding women prisoners. The change is due to spare capacity in the rest of the high security estate and the availability of new accommodation for women at Bronzefield in Ashford, Middlesex opening on 17 June and Peterborough in June 2005.
	There are currently around 100 women being held at the prison of whom seven are category A. The women will all be subject to comprehensive sentence plans to determine the most appropriate prison for them.